Dear Mica,

You turned 16 today. 16 years ago I I had a c-section because I was low on fluid, you were breech and refused to turn. 

About a week later we bought a car that would in fact fit a car seat. The 2 door Subaru I had wasn’t going to cut it. The Pilot is long since gone, but we still have our Civic today. It’s on its last leg, but cars are expensive with the pandemic. On Friday you’re getting your drivers permit a year late. Last year DMVs were closed. 

You’re excited to go in to high school. Most of the previous year you were remote. You are not excited to wear a mask, and have others wearing masks. You just want to see people’s faces, but you know it’s important to stop the spreadYou’re more open to try new things this year in school. Tennis was going to be a sport you wanted to play. After learning it would never be at school, and there was no late bus we said, “No.” 

Last year we struggled with your crooked back. The specialist said your growth plates are close together, as long as you’re not in pain you’re fine. 

You’re taking your first college course this summer, Philosophy. Our conversations have been interesting. 

Birthday gift: A new phone. Gifts get more expensive as you age. 

I haven’t taken you out for photos, but here you are getting your phone, and at Olive Garden for your birthday meal.

Creepy face just to mess with me.

 

Beans!

We’ve had a few storms that killed off some things, but not the beans! We always get tons of beans. 

I should mention that Travis took a leap year in the garden. He did so much last year and the year before. We still have plenty of canned tomatoes and tomatoes cubes in the deep freezer, saved for soups. 

Travis typically throws them in a gigantic pile on a towel. Leaves and grass is all over. I’m not complaining. He plants them and picks them. 

We had some company coming over, so I weeded the grass and leaves out, shook the towels, and sorted the kind of neatly. 

What did you grow this year? 

Backsplash is Done

We finished the backsplash last weekend. I ended up returning one thing I bought; in the process I found something that matched our floor exactly. I kept thinking…where was this product when I needed it? 

Isaak helped minimally. He kind of gets excited about projects, then lazy soon after. It’s either his slight ADD, or just being a thirteen year old boy. 

I did most of the spackling, sanding, cutting, and placing.  

I know…we still have crappy old countertops. I’d love to find plates I like. As soon as I’d find one I liked, they would have one of our others that was similar. 

I got a ton of peaches to make smoothie prep bags. 

Isaak did sign and date his photo to put inside the backsplash; just like the previous owner put a photo in there for us to find. 

Random Tid Bits

I’ve been feeling down lately. I have many reasons to look up, but hey it life goes up and down. 

1. Someone dear to me had a miscarriage. 

2. Covid and its awful, never ending game. In fact one person we’ve known for years has it. Their blood is being recycled, they’ve been on a vent, and have a hole in their lung. Things aren’t looking great for them. They have 2 kids a year older than our boys. It’s really sad that their family won’t admit it’s covid. 

3. I had a student that posted how she adopted a cute little boy after they’ve fostered for a few years on the 20th. The Saturday after her husband got in a motorcycle accident and died. So sad! 

4. I’ve had trouble getting info for a proposal I’ve been working on. I don’t know what they want in it. I’m past the stage where I’m new, but am still new enough where I don’t know shit. 

5. I was excited to do freelance work for AIM, my old work. It was with a program I love. I was supposed to work with just that team. Well…their HR person retired, so I had to share with my old boss what I’ve done. She issuing the check. 

They’ve had a bit of a program name war going on. Upward Bound is known all throughout the US. AIM decided to call them Youth Academies. It’s a bit like Girl Scouts in one area going by Girl Academies. No one would know what they are. I’ve managed to be in the middle again. Middle should be my middle name, 

6. I found out that my kid’s friend AKA my husband’s boss’ kid dove into the pool, heard a snap. He broke his neck. Thank goodness he’s ok. But he has to wear a brace, for a long while. 

What has you down and out these days? 

Des Moines State Capitol

We went on our one and only full family trip this summer. Sadly it was only a day. 

Travis took the boys to New Mexico to see their grandparents on his side. Because I got a new job again I didn’t have vacation time saved up. Off they flew. In a sense I had a vacation without them. 

We went to Des Moines, Iowa. I always want to say it wrong just for the fun of it. 

It’s only 2 hours from Omaha, and has quite a bit to do there. 

I would have loved to of shopped around downtown, but the boys weren’t interested. 

We went to their State Capitol. 

The outside was pretty. At first we thought we weren’t getting in. The main doors were locked. Oddly a small door located on the side of the building was open. They checked our stuff even though one can bring a fully loaded gun in. I have nothing to hide, but thought that was odd. 

 

Mica and I were mixed about the tour guide. Mica thought he was great. I thought he was hard to hear and said odd things from time to time. 

A family was from India. A few times they were slow. They were the only ones with small kids, anyhow the tour guide looked and said, “Oh of course it’s them.” I wanted to say, “Oh of course you’d judge them like that.” But refrained. 

Later he said school children used have to wind down the chandeliers if they got in trouble at school. He said, “They got something that doesn’t happen now a days called, ‘discipline’.” I wanted to say, “Ya living in a pandemic, hearing people fight about politics, and having more single parents raise their kids isn’t enough now a days.” Again I refrained from saying all that. He is right we do lack respect, but hey that’s on adults just as much as kids. 

Enough from my soap box. He did tell us some interesting stories. This floor below was replaced on the first level with 50s style tile. What a shame. 

There were 2 girls below that used to face each other. Now they look straight ahead. That happened when they put in electricity. 

He swore the paintings move. It’s just odd perspective. I was more fascinated by the tile detail of the art. 

 

   

The best room was the library. It had super old books that went up 3 levels. This would be Mica’s dream house I think. 

 

Onward to where important decisions were/are made. Here we learned that the capitol was once on fire. The electrician accidentally bumped into his lantern. The same guy that saved the capitol fell to his death a few days later. He fell off a scaffolding. 

We did get to go up to the ceiling, but not up to the roof. Insert Grover’s near and far act. 

 

  

Just a few random shots I like:

Backslash in the Making

Our weekend project started like this:

I told Isaak to clean off the backsplash in the kitchen. He asked, “It’s so old, can I just rip it off?” Me not really thinking this through said, “You know, you are right. Sure! I’ve often thought the same thing.” He really enjoyed the satisfaction of ripping it down. 

Inside the backsplash he found a photo, and now kind of wants to put one of us in there, for the next owners. 

Anyone know who this is? Ya, didn’t think you would. 

Whoever it is, it looks like a photo from the early 90s. 

All the sudden Isaak and I both got worried about how annoyed Travis would be when he got home. Together we came up with possible scenarios. It went from my fault to his. We discussed who would possibly get in more trouble. 

Backstory: Travis has been swamped at work. He’s also getting ready for a show he has in October. I’m not much better with starting a new job, someone from AIM (my last job) reached out for me to do lots of freelance, and I need to get ready for my fall course. 

Travis wasn’t mad. He just doesn’t much want a part in the project. 

Isaak and I went together to look at back splashes that I heard are so easy to install. Only to find out their description of just using a scissors to cut them isn’t exactly accurate. You need a wet saw, calking is involved… I’m ok with these types of projects when I’m shown how, but I’m not exactly ok to jump into them solo with a 13 year old. 

After going to 3 stores to not find much, we hopped on Amazon, and picked out this durable paper, for now. But of course there’s a hook…the wall has to be smooth to install it. It was textured like crazy! Crap! We should have just slapped it over the crappy backsplash that was smoother than a baby’s butt. But nope we got all ambitious like. 

We went to the store yet again for some spackle. That stuff dries out faster than my gecko’s skin! I taught Isaak how to spackle, and now he’s sanding. 

It looks odd having a 13 year old laying on the counter, sanding. 

We’re almost done smoothing it up. 

So have you put in a backsplash in the kitchen before? What did you use? 

Disclaimer: I did not get this fancy paper that is probably just like contact paper to review. 

A New Fidget Toy

I like to get something for my boys’ stockings that is a toy, but teenage cool. It’s Christmas in July. The time I start collecting gifts, so it’s not super expensive when Christmas comes around. 

This set comes with a Mickey Mouse head and robot.

A new fidget toy is popular. Isaak says he sees kids playing with them at school. 

Why Get Fidget Toys:

They can be phase toys that are a gimmick, but they are fun in the moment. 

I never let my kids take them to school. I’ve heard people talk about them being great for learning. Um ok, but they may be a distraction to others in the classroom. 

My boys keep them at home. If they find them helpful for learning, they can play with them while they do homework. I could see them helping Isaak that has anxiety and possibly ADD, but I don’t think fudge toys would help Mica at all. 

This one comes with two in a package. 

It feels a bit like playing with bubble wrap, but it isn’t loud and annoying. I sort of wish the bubbles were a bit bigger for a fingertip. 

These fidget toy won’t break like a fidget spinner. Plus they are easier to clean. 

They have a spot to add them to a keychain. 

Sizes:

Robot - 1.9”x2.5” 

Mickey Mouse Head - 2.5”x 3”

It’s easy to carry around, but also easy for kids to loose. I like that there’s a keychain hole, so they don’t get lost as easy.

If you don’t like these deigns, there are others by the same company. 

You can get this set on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B096RJZ4PG

Do you buy holiday gifts year round, or right before?

Disclaimer: I got this product for a discount in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own. 

AOKID Robot Dog Review

My youngest Isaak always wanted a robot dog.  I never could find one. Here he is. This one is for boys or girls to love.

Isaak always seemed to ask for crazy unreachable things. Like one year he wanted a real Frosty the Snowman for Christmas. 

A robot dog was much more reachable, but at the time I couldn’t find one. This doggie is made by AOKID. 

We decided the stunt dog is a boy. He’s cute from all sides. 

Back:

Side:

Front: 

Pros: 

•Lots of fun things he can do! 

•It does have a volume control. 

•It’s a gender neutral toy. 

Negatives:

 

•It’s hard to recharge him. You have to take a plate off his tummy with a skewer driver to get to his charging port. 

•The remote takes batteries. It doesn’t come with batteries, so that makes it more expensive. 

•It’s on the higher end of $42.99, so if it doesn’t get played with you’re out some money. 

Ideas:

•It would be cool if they had other animals to choose from. 

•It would be cool if they had different types of dogs. 

Overall he’s cute, and my son can’t leave him alone. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B093B6XSQG

Accessories: 

Disclaimer: I got this product for a discounted price in exchange for an honest review. 

Chocolate Goodness in a Smoothie

I took the boys to pick mulberries at my old work this morning. They said it was more than ok. I love leaving places on a good note. We picked a gigantic popcorn bowl size of mulberries. I triple washed them, put them in snack sized ziploc bags to freeze them. 

When we got home the boys were super hungry. Hungry growing boys need more protein intake. Lucky for them I had all the ingredients for their favorite sandwiches- BLTs and a shake.  

Chocolate Protein Shake: 

• 1 smaller protein pack
• 1 cup of ice 
• 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 cup berries
• 2 bananas

Flavors:

• Vanilla
• Salted Carmel 
• Chocolate

I got chocolate to review. I would have liked any of the flavors to be honest. 

Where to get it:

You can pick it up at Walmart https://www.walmart.com/ip/Pro-Keto-Shake-Best-Tasting-Low-Carb-Low-Sugar-Clean-Protein-Shake-for-Keto-and-all-Diets-15-Servings/317558735 for $32.99. The pack sold on their site has 15 servings. 

The boys both liked it. It was refreshing after picking berries. 

I liked that it could be made with ice and milk, or fruit could be mixed in. 

Usually I get pea protein, roast pumpkin seeds to grind, and add dried and grinded kale to the mix. I have a cinnamon flavored protein powder for smoothies that have pumpkin or squash with banana. I added dried and ground berries into another for a berry smoothie. Then I have a plain one for mango and peach smoothies. 

I missed the chocolate flavor. It’s nice to have some chocolate goodness. What flavors do you enjoy in a smoothie or shake?

Disclaimer: I got this product for free, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Random Tid Bits

1. I’m into my second week at my new job. So far, so good. I have heard that it’s stressful getting the writing from architects and engineers, so I can implement it into proposals. 

2. At my last job AIM, I was hired by a guy named Kelly. At this job I was hired by a guy named Tracy, but I work with a girl named Kelly. I so feel like I’m going to butcher Tracy’s name. It will be embarrassing because Kelly is a girl. I’m usually great with names. Can you see how this could happen? 

4.  A week after I started I got business cards. That’s something I’ve never gotten at a job.

At AIM they wanted the same person to print things for consistency. All except for business cards. Everyone had to print their own. Explain that one. 

5. Mica’s taking a Philosophy course at our local community college. He’s getting a taste of what college is like. They had a free course and book for high schoolers. 

I have mixed feelings about free college. It will kill all specialty schools. Including tech, art, acting and music colleges. Free education isn’t really free. The money has to come from somewhere. What are your feelings about free college?